Shocking Revelations: Episode 7 of The Penguin Redefines the Series with Its Darkest Twists!

In the penultimate episode of The Penguin on HBO, Oz Cobb finds himself caught in an exhilarating game of highs and lows reminiscent of a rollercoaster designed by someone with a dark sense of humor. Weaving through a series of action-packed sequences in "Top Hat," the real drama unfurls via a tapestry of flashbacks that peel back the layers of Oz's turbulent past—specifically, the tragic deaths of his two brothers, Jack and Benny. Just when you think he’s reached the pinnacle of his aspirations as a gangster, it turns out he’s teetering on the brink of losing it all. Classic Oz, right?

What makes this iteration of The Penguin so utterly fascinating is the air of mystery that swirls around Oz’s true thoughts. He’s like that friend who says they’ll help you move but never quite shows up; you can’t decide if he’s endearing or utterly self-serving. This moral ambiguity is what keeps viewers glued to their seats, questioning his every whim. It seems the only soul he genuinely cares about is his mother, Francis Cobb, but the flashbacks invite us to reconsider even that tender relationship—ah, the layers of familial love betrayed by the past!

But hold onto your popcorn because this episode houses a revelation that would make even the most jaded of viewers gasp. Oz is harboring a secret so profound it flips the script on everything we thought we knew about him. His ongoing battle with Salvatore Maroni and Sofia Gigante (née Falcone) is near its climax, yet surviving this personal vendetta might just cost him and the residents of Crown Point everything, including their dignity. Cue Eve Karlo, who betrays Oz quicker than you can say "family values," leading to a tangled web that results in Francis getting captured by Sofia. Perhaps some familial affection might have gone a long way here.

You see Francis, in her infinite wisdom laced with a healthy dose of dementia, confronts her captor with an audacity that would make any PTA mom proud. The woman mocks Sofia’s ancestral lineage while giving a passive-aggressive nod to Oz’s instincts for violence. But, let’s not forget that memory can be a slippery beast, and when Sofia mentions her long-lost sons, Jack and Benny, Francis gets lost in a moment of confusion, courtesy of Lewy Body dementia. Oh, the dramatic irony of forgetting the very tragedy that fuels the narrative! There’s a twisted beauty in the flashbacks as they unveil Oz’s childhood mischief—a game of “flashlight tag” gone wrong, leading to a horrific drowning that casts a long shadow over his psyche.

Let’s get real for a second: the show offers a portrait of a “mama's boy,” who would rather keep his affections unchallenged than confront the demons of his past. He idolizes Jack, the eldest brother, while simultaneously pushing his face down the metaphorical slide of abandonment. Instead of playing outside, Oz opts for a cozy movie night with Mom that, unbeknownst to him, is a calculated detour into a dark psychological labyrinth. In a truly bittersweet moment, Francis lays bare her desires, demanding a “better life” for herself, which seems to hint at her underlying fear of the loss of her other sons. Just when the audience believes they’ve snagged the emotional thread, the series yanks it out from under us, transforming our perception of Oz and infusing him with a grotesque semblance of humanity.

As the episode unfolds, we witness the chaotic machinations of Sofia throughout her strategy to glean the truth from Francis, with Dr. Julian Rush acting as the unwilling therapist. Meanwhile, Sal Maroni, a man likely nursing a grudge deeper than a mafia pothole, plots to finish The Penguin once and for all. In a twist that’s almost comical, Sal’s aspirations get thwarted by a heart attack that strikes right as he’s about to deliver the final blow. There's something deliciously ironic in how Oz—despite all his dastardly deeds—suddenly becomes the arbiter of fate, flipping the narrative once more.

The tension builds to a fever pit, as one would expect from a show of this magnitude. Every time Oz faces another defeat, it feels like a slapstick tragedy; the kind where you laugh nervously because, quite frankly, what else are you going to do? Just when it seems all is lost, there’s a brief resurrection of loyalty from his once-loyal gangsters, who rise against Maroni’s reign of terror. Yet, in a stroke of unfortunate (or is it fortunate?) irony, Oz loses significant ground when the ploy meant to trap Sofia backfires, catastrophically taking his drug operation with it. Talk about a family feud!

In a city teetering perpetually on the brink of moral decay, when the powerful clash, it’s the common folk who pay the price. Oz’s survival hangs by a thread as he hides in the very overflow drain where he lost so much, back in the days of light-hearted play turned sinister. What remains of his ambition now seems like scraps scattered across a darkened stage, ripe for resolution, as he remains cornered by desperation. Yet it is in this desperate state that the truest, and perhaps most dangerous, version of The Penguin emerges.

The episode opens with a sliver of hope, showcasing Oz’s return from the Gold Summit, basking in the glow of a revival for his beloved Crown Point. However, as expectations crash like waves against a rocky shore, we find ourselves repeating the same litany: victories followed by dismal defeats, akin to a never-ending tragicomedy.

And as we approach the finale, one can’t help